RAG Aktiengesellschaft

Tisa – this will be the future name of the tunnel boring machine that will drive the mine water channel from the central shaft to Oeynhausen’s shaft 1. The name was given to the Dorsten artist Tisa von der Schulenburg, who was closely associated with the hard coal mining industry. She not only thematised mining artistically, but also distinguished herself through a high degree of solidarity with the miners.

During a festive ceremony on 4th August 2023, the second tunnel boring machine for the construction of the mine water channel of the former Ibbenbüren mine of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, was symbolically christened by Pastor Andreas Finke and Pastor Paul Konnadur at the central shaft of the mine water channel (Figure 1). It is the second tunnel boring machine to be used for the construction of the mine water channel. It will drive a length of 3,867 m in the east section. In future, the mine water from the Ibbenbüren mine will be fed via the mine water channel to the new mine water treatment plant currently under construction in Gravenhorst.

Peter Schrimpf, Chairman of the RAG Board of Management: “The excavation of the mine water channel in Ibbenbüren is a very special project for us in many respects. It is, so to speak, the last excavation in the German hard coal mining industry. It is also an outstanding project in terms of investment volume. And it is a prime example of sustainability and the environmentally friendly handling of mine water. I wish us all continued success with the project. Above all, I wish everyone involved on the construction site good health. Occupational safety and the integrity of our employees and partners is and remains an essential element of our corporate culture.”

The channel is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025. (RAG /Si.)

Currently, the final operating plan procedure for the termination of the mining supervision for the former Proper II shaft (Figure 1) of the former Prosper-Haniel mine in Bottrop/Germany is underway. Within the procedure, an “orienting hazard assessment” was carried out. The expert recommends prohibiting groundwater extraction there due to the sometimes significant groundwater contamination in some areas. The city of Bottrop has therefore banned both the use and extraction of groundwater in these areas.

The groundwater in the downstream of the Prosper-Haniel mine was already sampled during the phase-out of operations. “We continued to keep an eye on the groundwater as part of the final operating plan procedure. For this purpose, there were measuring points both by us and by the city of Bottrop at Knappenstraße and in the adjacent settlement. Until autumn, the values measured there were only slightly elevated,” says Michael Otto of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH in Essen, who is responsible for the final operating plan.

As part of the process, the number of groundwater measuring points on the site itself and in the settlement will be expanded step by step. In October, the values measured there were much higher. Otto: “We reported this to the supervisory authority and the city of Bottrop, which has now ordered this precautionary measure.” Essentially, the elevated values are coke ice-specific parameters.

The direction of flow of the groundwater is from east to west. Therefore, several causative factors are possible. Next to the colliery site, there was an old coking plant with various ancillary extraction facilities, such as a petrol factory.

Within the framework of the ongoing final operating plan procedure, solutions for a permanent safeguarding of the contaminated sites must now be developed and implemented so that a risk to the population can be excluded.

Groundwater remediation is already being carried out at several sites in the Ruhr area. Mostly at former coking plant sites that were destroyed in the Second World War. This is one of the eternal tasks in post-mining. (RAG/Si.)

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) eats its way about 340 m through the ground 10 m below the Datteln-Hamm Canal (Figure 1). Here, in 2025, mine water is to flow into the Lippe in a pipe. This is because Haus Aden is one of the central mine water sites of RAG Aktiengesellschaft in Essen. At the same time, a new residential area is being built here – directly on the water.

Due to the age of the former mine water pipeline and the future use of the Haus Aden water intake site as one of the remaining central uplift points in the Ruhr area, the mine water pipeline of the former Haus Aden colliery is being renewed as far as the Lippe. The mine water extraction rate is around 11.9 M m³/a. In order to use synergies, the existing flood water discharge pipe of the Oberaden pumping station will also be renewed in the course of this construction measure to ensure precipitation drainage.

The project will be implemented in two construction stages. The first construction phase comprises the renewal of the mine water drainage and the flood water discharge pipe between the former Haus Aden shaft site and Kleine Heide road north of the Datteln-Hamm canal. For this purpose, the canal will be crossed under with two media channels in which the pipelines will be routed. The second construction stage – extension to the Lippe – will take place afterwards.

With the current start of the tunnelling work, the first of the two media channels with an internal diameter of 3.20 m will be excavated. The length of the excavation is about 340 m and will be carried out from south to north. The excavation of the second media channel with a diameter of 2.80 m will start afterwards, also from south to north at the same depth. A period of about three months is planned for the tunnelling work for each media duct.
The start of the tunnelling measure, originally planned for spring/summer 2022, was delayed due to the clarification of legal issues that had to be accompanied by an expert opinion, as well as delivery problems with essential components. The completion of the entire project is scheduled for 2025.

The TBM from Herrenknecht has an installed capacity of 850 KW, is 7 m long and has a diameter of 4 m. The TBM can move up to 1.5 m per day. It can cut up to 10 m through the ground every day.

A Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine is used to excavate two channels for the renewal of the mine water drainage system and the flood water discharge pipe for the Haus Aden dewatering site. Photo/Photo: RAG

Barbara – this will be the name of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) in future, which will drive the mine water channel from the outlet to the central shaft (Figure 1). The woman who gave the TBM its name is the patron saint of all miners. Saint Barbara’s Day is therefore exactly the right temporal setting for the christening of this huge machine.

During a solemn ceremony on 7th December 2022, the first tunnel boring machine for the construction of the mine water channel of the former Ibbenbüren mine of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, was symbolically baptised by Parish Priest Andreas Finke and Pastor Martin Weber at the outlet of the mine water channel. It is one of two TBMs that will drive the mine water canal over a length of 7.4 km, through which the mine water of the Ibbenbüren mine will in future be fed to the new mine water treatment plant currently under construction in Gravenhorst.

The godmother of the first TBM of the west drive is Christine Wenzel, an internationally successful sports shooter from Ibbenbüren. Miriam März, head of RAG’s Personnel and Development Division (V-PE), will be the godmother for the west section of the mine water tunnel, which will be named “Miriam”.

With this act of blessing and symbolic baptism of the TBM and the tunnel, God’s assistance and blessing is requested for the safety and health of the tunnel builders as well as for the success of the project, which is being implemented to protect the people and nature in the former coal region.

A second TBM will be lowered into the 75-m-deep central shaft in the spring of this year and will dig its way through the ground from there in an easterly direction. In 2025, after completion, all the mine water will flow through the canal into the Gravenhorst treatment plant. (RAG/Si.)

At the future central Lohberg dewatering site of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, in Dinslaken, both the rehabilitation of the shaft frame and the development of the site area are showing visible progress (Figure 1).

In order to strengthen the double trestle, which is a listed building, reinforcement measures in the steel skeleton are necessary for structural reasons. In order to be able to carry out this work and the subsequent corrosion protection painting at dizzy heights, the scaffold, which is visible from afar and currently encloses almost the entire 74 m high headframe, was erected. The associated rope sheaves were removed beforehand and will be reinstalled in their original position once they have been refurbished. The work will continue into next year.

The area, which is under mine supervision, is currently being enclosed with a fence system which, with its clinkered posts and masonry elements and black fence lattices, blends harmoniously into the surrounding industrial landscape. “The Lohberg site will play a central role in RAG’s water retention concept in the future, as this is where the mine water from the entire Emscher syncline will be lifted using submersible pumps and discharged into the Rhine in a few years’ time. Planning for this will start next year,” explains Jörg Küsters, site manager for Lohberg. “Many coordination loops, especially with the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments and the City of Dinslaken, were and are still necessary to meet all requirements,” adds project manager Harald Haase. (RAG/Si.)

Until now, the Velsen Adventure Mine Association) in the Saarland has leased the heritage site, formerly a training mine. In the last week, the Association, the RAG Aktien-gesellschaft,Essen/Germany, and the Saarland Ministry of Education and Culture have all signed the contracts (Figure 1).

The solution found is all thanks to a united commitment: As the new owner, the Association will bear any costs incurred for closure and filling. The RAG will therefore pay approximately 1.5 M € in closure costs, as specified in the decommissioning plan, to the Association, which will then transfer the money to the Saarland Ministry of Finance. The state has assured the Association that it will cover the costs in the event of an unavoidable closure and therefore also assumes the risk of increased costs in the future.

Stefan Hager, regional representative for the RAG, thanked all those involved for their extraordinary commitment and perseverance. “We are pleased to have found a viable and sustainable solution for everyone.” The former training tunnel will still be used, now as an Adventure Mine. “Velsen shows once more that it needs cooperation from everyone if the structural transformation is to be a success. With this in mind, we also hope to find solutions for the historical mining monuments. We wish the Velsen Adventure Mine Association many visitors, committed members and, in particular, all the “miner’s luck” in the future.” Volker Etgen, first Chairman of the Association, confirmed: “The transfer of ownership gives us planning security and the fate of this training mine, unique to Germany, will soon be in our hands.”

“Velsen offers more than just a glance at the past, it is indeed a place for future generations”, said the Saarland Minister of Culture Christine Streichert-Clivot while she signed the contracts. “We need networked services between the different mining and industrial heritage locations, and more professionalisation to support the extraordinary voluntary work in this sector. In the new budget, we must therefore also discuss increased funding for industrial heritage.”

Until 2011, the RAG was still teaching miners in the training mine. Since mining ended in the Saarland, the Association has used the training tunnel as a visitor mine. Across an 800 m stretch on three different levels, visitors can see powered shields in several longwalls, conveyors, transportation rails and drilling equipment. Particularly noteworthy: All machines and technologies used in active mining operations are available and ready for use.

A special moment for Minister Christine Streichert-Clivot. As the daughter of a miner, she feels personally drawn to the cultural legacy of the mining era and has in recent years worked with the volunteers of the Association and the RAG to find the chosen solution: “School classes are currently jumping at the chance to visit the former training tunnels in Velsen. Before the pandemic, the operators were swamped with bookings. Velsen offers more than just a glance at the past, it is indeed a place for future generations. We need networked services between the different mining and industrial heritage locations, and more professionalisation to support the extraordinary voluntary work in this sector. In the new budget, we must therefore also discuss increased funding for industrial heritage.” (RAG/Si.)

“Despite corona, RAG managed to meet or exceed all its business goals” says Peter Schrimpf, Chairman of the RAG Board of Management. Indeed, with regard to the funds to finance the so-called perpetual obligations by the RAG-Stiftung, the RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, will use slightly less for 2021 than originally planned. The perpetual obligations include minewater management, ground water purification and polder measures. In 2020, funds were approximately 290 € M, the largest proportion reserved for mine water management.

By the end of 2021, RAG had about 750 active employees. At the end of the previous year, there were around 1,240. Schrimpf: “Even with the necessary reduction in staff, we are still on track.” This year, an agreement has been reached with almost all 140 miners who, despite various job offers, did not want to change and filed a suit regarding the compulsory redundancies. Schrimpf: “Since 1997 alone, RAG has cut over 80,000 jobs, all, without exception, in a socially responsible manner – not only with the help of the early retirement scheme, but also by transferring people from one job into another. A unique process in the Federal Republic of Germany.”

Following the planning approval order and approval of the closure plan by the Saarland mining administration in coordination with the Department of the Environment, it is possible to enable a controlled partial rise in mine water level to – 320 m. For the company, this represents an important step on the way to more sustainable water drainage. This rise in Saarland is to be accompanied by a monitoring process, as in the other mining regions, which will incorporate all relevant groups. However, there have been appeals against the approvals, which could delay the implementation of the mine water concept.

The filling of the last shafts of the Prosper-Haniel mine in Bottrop, which marked the end of the German coal mining industry when it was closed in December 2018, is finished. At Christmas, the last load of concrete flowed into the shafts, which are now filled and stable – a basic requirement for new usage of the mine site.

This coming summer, the central water drainage system at Zollverein in Essen will also be closed. The mine water there will then flow underground together with the mine water from the previously independent water drainage areas Auguste Victoria, Fürst Leopold, Carolinenglück and Amalie via the Prosper-Haniel site towards Lohberg, later feeding into the Rhine. “By feeding up to 33 M m³/a directly into the Rhine, we relieve pressure on the Lippe and the Emscher. That’s clear added value to people and nature”, says Schrimpf. The mine water at the Lohberg site (Figure 1) is predicted to reach pumping level by 2030, at which point it will be raised using submersible pumps and fed into the river Rhine.

At the Ruhr locations (Heinrich and Friedlicher Nachbar in Essen and Robert Müser in Bochum), the mine water continues to be pumped through the existing shafts to surface level and into the river Ruhr. In the next few years, probably until 2025, these shafts will be converted to modern bottling plants and the mine workings closed. With the exception of the Friedlicher Nachbar site which, as a single-shaft mine, is already equipped with well technology, the mines in the Ruhr area have so far continued to be operated with underground pump systems.

Alongside the plants on the river Ruhr and the river Rhine, Haus Aden in Bergkamen is another mine water site. Many preparations have been made here already, to transport the mine water using submersible pumps. Work is currently being carried out on the mine water drainage system, which will eventually feed the mine water into the Lippe, after the mine water has risen. As well as the six mine water sites with eight active well shafts, the company has back-up sites. These include Concordia (Oberhau-sen), Amalie (Essen), Zollverein (Essen) and Carolinenglück (Bochum). These are still undergoing relevant preparations. Other back-up sites such as Fürst Leopold (Dorsten), Auguste Victoria (Marl) and Grimberg (Bergkamen) have already been reconstructed as back-up sites.

At the Ibbenbüren mine in the Tecklenburg region, all shafts have now been filled and building work has begun on the mine water channel. The concept for the long-term mine water management at the mine envisages a controlled rise in mine water which will be drained via a newly built mine water channel and fed to the yet-to-be-built Gravenhorst processing plant. From there, the treated water is fed to the river Ems via the river Aa. The plant should be operational by the end of 2024. Treatment is necessary here due to the high sulphate content of the mine water.

With the restructuring of the property management tasks in the group, RAG and RAG Montan Immobilien (RMI) have further contributed to increased efficiency and the pooling of resources. On 1st January 2022, all tasks relating to restructuring management, property management and property maintenance were transferred from RMI to RAG. Around 40 employees remain after the restructuring process to carry out the remaining tasks assigned to RMI. The market-oriented fields of land development, material flow management, soil management and renewable energy continue to be part of the company.

And so, RAG successfully got through the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. This was made possible in particular because we were able to avoid chains of infection in the company. “The vaccination rate of over 95 % shows that we act responsibly and protect each other”, said the RAG Chief Executive. (RAG/Si.)

On 7th February 1962, at 7:45, a huge explosion 535 m under the ground shook the Alsbachfeld section of the Luisenthal mine. 299 miners lost their lives, many were injured. The 1962 Luisenthal mining disaster is deeply rooted in the memory of Saarland. The Glück auf miners’ association was founded in 1963, to commemorate the victims each year.

This year will be the 60th anniversary of the event. In a very dignified setting, representatives from the mountain, hut and miners’ associations, the Saarland regional government, the Saarland parliament as well as representatives from the RAG-Stiftung, RAG Aktien-gesellschaft and other invited guests, commemorated the miners who died that day (Figure 1).

“On this day, 60 years ago, Luisenthal saw the worst mining disaster in the history of the Saar mining industry. The entire region mourned. This day has etched itself in the collective memory of Saarland and has caused the people of Saarland to come closer together”, says Tobias Hans, Prime Minister of Saarland.

“Luisenthal and its devastating mining disaster remains in all of our memories. But the danger of forgetting is real. We are very grateful to the Glück Auf mining association of Luisenthal and all traditional associations for preserving the heritage of the coal mining industry in the Saar region”, explains Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia, member of the Board of Management of the RAG-Stiftung, Essen/Germany. “However, the story of Luisenthal is not only the story of a disaster. It is also the story of incredible solidarity, of helpfulness and of miners’ camaraderie. In the same month as the disaster, at the end of February 1962, Saarland and Saarbergwerke AG founded the Stiftung Bergmannshilfswerk Luisenthal miners’ relief organisation. The willingness to help was tremendous; very quickly, the Stiftung was able to financially support the survivors and the bereaved”, added Bergerhoff-Wodopia. She affirmed, “The RAG-Stiftung is very closely connected to Saarland. We support many young people and support them with scholarships and vocational training.”

Peter Schrimpf, Chairman of the Board of Management of RAG Aktien-gesellschaft, Essen/Germany, was deeply moved by the great compassion shown. “Mining disasters belong to the darkest chapters of mining history. They have brought unbelievable suffering to families, communities and the entire country – and have left deep scars”, he stressed in his speech. But out of this suffering we have also seen some positives. In processing the tragedy in Luisenthal, safety in the German coal mining industry has developed significantly. “We feel particularly indebted to the miners who lost their lives above and below ground. The memory of the Luisenthal mining disaster is therefore particularly important in the subsequent use of the mining site.” A dignified place of commemoration is to be created near the Richard shafts. A place that bears witness to the sacrifice made by these people.

“Solidarity, attentiveness, a sense of responsibility and human connection are the qualities that have always characterised the work and interaction of mine workers”, stressed Susanne Hardies, chair of the general works council at RAG. “Let’s stay committed to these values and honour the memory of the 299 colleagues who died 60 years ago.”

Christiane Blatt, Mayor of Völklingen, gave a stirring description of reports from contemporary witnesses. “The town of Völklingen is shaped by coal and steel. We have experienced difficult times. Now, however, it’s also important to look forward, without forgetting the legacy of the past.” She called on the regional government to get involved in developing a new use for the former Luisenthal mine. As long as the city council approved, a cooperative agreement with RAG would be signed to this effect in the near future. (RAG/Si.)

On 7th December 2021, Peter Schrimpf, Chairman of the Board of Executives of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, and Chairman of the Board of Stiftung Zollverein, Essen, welcomed Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home, Community, Construction and Equality of North Rhine-Westphalia. Together, they travelled into the depths: 1,000 m below the surface of the earth, they visited the mine water management pumping systems in the “Zollverein XII” shaft in Essen (Figure 1).

“Zollverein is a symbol of our past and our future. It was one of the most high-performance mining complexes in the world and is a World Heritage Site today, while it remains an active mining site as well as housing the RAG headquarters,” says Schrimpf. “After 20 years, the Zollverein Foundation is facing some big tasks. Maintaining this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is a challenge. That’s why the Zollverein Foundation relies on a broad support base,” says Schrimpf, who, as successor to Bernd Tönjes, is also Chairman on the Zollverein Foundation Board.

“The Zollverein mine shows how structural changes can be successful: Since the last shift ended in December 1986, Zollverein has turned into a place for art, culture and creative businesses. The Doppelbock winding tower is a widely recognisable monument as the “Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr valley”. With its fully preserved mining systems and coking plant, Zollverein has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001 – a place worth engaging with and experiencing. A strong piece of home. A strong piece of North Rhine-Westphalia, which it is our job to preserve,” says Minister Scharrenbach after visiting the shafts.

On their trip to Zollverein, the Minister and Schrimpf were accompanied by Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia, member of the RAG-Stiftung Board of Executives, Essen, and Prof. Hans Peter Noll, Executive Chairman of the Stiftung Zollverein. “We also really care about this place,” says Bergerhoff-Wodopia, “that’s why we are also supporting multiple projects at Zollverein. And we have chose it as the site of the RAG-Stiftung headquarters. This proves that we believe in the future of this mining site so steeped in tradition.” (RAG/Si.)

Some three years after the ceremony to mark the end of the German coal mining industry, leading representatives of RAG-Stiftung and RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, joined Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a historic mining site.

Together with the head of state and other representatives from the worlds of politics, business and culture, the chair of the RAG-Stiftung board of management Bernd Tönjes, member of the board of management Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia and the chair of the RAG board of management Peter Schrimpf visited the “We’re from here. Turkish-German Life in 1990” exhibition. Photographer Ergun Çağatay’s retrospective on the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex is funded by the Federal Foreign Office and RAG-Stiftung.

Steinmeier visited the exhibition on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement (Figure 1). “We should no longer be talking about how we have people with a migration background here, but instead about how, over the years, we’ve become a country with a migration background,” Steinmeier emphasised after the tour. Without these people, we could not account for some of the prosperity in our country.

While the coal mining industry was active, RAG itself made integration history. A host of different nationalities worked in the mines and factories. Employees originated from, e. g., Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, Hungary and Turkey.

Integration was part of everyday life in the local mining industry – not least because of the district working group for cultural support for miners at that time (Revierarbeitsgemeinschaft für kulturelle Bergmannsbetreuung – REVAG). The REVAG, founded in 1948 as a specialist unit for cultural support for miners, did pioneering work in that field. It led guest workers out of linguistic and cultural isolation, created trust between immigrants and locals and opened up opportunities for immigrants to participate equally in social, political and civic life. (RAG)